Building and managing a brand can make you first choice for customers. Because brands give potential customers a good idea of what they are buying, it makes purchasing decisions easier. People trust strong brands because they know what to expect. But if you want to build and manage a brand you need to focus on what your customers want and how you will deliver it.
Successful branding is about promoting your strengths. So, consider what skills your business has. It could be excellent design, terrific customer service, great value for money, or simply the uniqueness of your company. This is ‘brand value’ so be certain you can always deliver on promises.
You must match these brand values to your customers needs. Think about what drives your customers, what makes them buy. Price and performance are not everything. Find out from existing customers what they like about dealing with you, and ask potential customers what they look for in their buying decisions. This can help you develop your business and your brand. However while you must pay attention to customers’ needs, keep control what you want the brand to mean to them. If your brand values match what customers are looking for you can start building your brand. But if this is not the case reconsider either the benefits you offer to your present customers or whether you’re targeting the right people. Keep it simple and focus on a small number of key brand values.
Be consistent. Remember that every possible contact you have with a customer or potential customer should reinforce your brand values. This includes your business name, products or services, slogans, logo, the style and quality of stationery, product packaging, premises, advertising and your company website. Even how you and your employees dress and behave can be used to reinforce brand values. So it is important employees understand and believe in what the brand stands for and can communicate this effectively to customers. Every aspect of your business should make customers feel the same way about you and strengthen your brand. Communicate your brand by making sure every advertisement; brochure, letter etc help reinforce the same message. If you have a logo, always use it.
Meet and exceed what your brand promises. And remember, customers change too. Regularly review the brand and continually look for opportunities to make improvements. Make changes to reflect new trends or shifts in business. If you keep a brand up to date it can have a very long life.
And finally, create and manage a brand budget to focus the mind and force you to prioritise your spending. Key budget areas for branding are design needs, your premises, advertising, and resources for employees so they can carry out what the brand promises, and costs of changing the company website. But start small and develop steadily. Remember that brands aren’t just for big companies – they can make smaller businesses stand out from the crowd, and in an increasingly competitive, global market this can only be beneficial.
